Club History
| the_history_of_the_mid_minnesota_association_of_woodturners.pdf |
THE HISTORY OF THE
MID MINNESOTA ASSOCIATION OF WOODTURNERS
The Mid Minnesota Association of Woodturners (MMAW) originated from a demonstration for
the Central Minnesota Woodworkers Association (CMWA) on November 21, 2007.
http://www.thecmwa.com/sites/thecmwa.com/files/CMWA_2007-12.pdf Gary Mrozek hosted
the monthly meeting in his shop. He demonstrated some basic woodturning on his lathe. After
the demonstration, Gary shared his vision of a special interest sub-group of CMWA members
with a focus on wood turning. This group could share experiences and learn news techniques
from each other. Gary asked for a show of hands of those interested in pursuing this vision. At
the December Board meeting of the CMWA Gary presented his proposal. With the blessing of
the Board the new subgroup was launched. On Saturday, February 23, 2008, Gary set-up a
booth at the CMWA’s Wood Expo, held at the St. Cloud Armory. He shared his vision with the
public and displayed several woodturned pieces from his collection. He invited those interested
to sign-up for notification of the first meeting of the CMWA Woodturners Group. This meeting
took place on Saturday March 8th, 2008, in Gary and wife Faye’s garage. It was attended by 15
individuals. After the meeting, a focus group was formed and the CMWA Woodturner’s Group
was on their way. For the next year, the group met monthly. Popularity grew and guests and
members of the CMWA attended regularly.
In the summer of 2009, the group had grown to around 45 members and it was evident that
Gary’s garage could no longer facilitate the meetings. Gary scheduled a meeting with Melissa
Gohman and Derick Segerstrom of the Paramount Art District in St. Cloud. He explained his
dilemma and the need to find a new home for the group. The three of them brainstormed the
potential for a mutually beneficial arrangement that could satisfy both the Woodturners Group
and the mission of the Paramount Arts Resource Trust (PART), promoting and educating in a
variety of art mediums. Wood as a medium would be new to the Paramount.
2010
On Saturday, March 13th, 2010, Gary invited Linda Ferber, program director of the American
Association of Woodturners (AAW), to the CMWA’s 5th Annual Wood Expo. The Woodturners
Group had a booth with a Minnesota Twins theme to celebrate the opening of the new Target
Field. The members of the Woodturners Group had 3 lathes set-up and were turning miniature
baseball bats to give to the young (and young at heart) attendees of the Expo. Linda shared the
benefits of a group like ours being a local chapter of the AAW. One of the benefits was liability
insurance provided to all chapters free of charge. Quickly, a meeting of some of the CMWA
members was pulled together for an impromptu Q&A with Linda during the Expo. We discussed
the possibilities of the CMWA (as a whole) becoming a chapter of the AAW. In April of 2010, an
entourage of Rollie Johnson, Brad Knowles, Albert Keppers and Gary Mrozek traveled to St. Paul
to meet with the AAW. It was determined that the primary requirement of the AAW insurance
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was that all demonstrators at chapter meetings must be a member of the AAW’s parent
organization. This would seriously limit CMWA’s ability to bring in guest speakers.
It was believed that CMWA’s insurance provided ample liability coverage for the club, its
members, and the meeting host. Deeper investigation including conversations with Gary’s
personal homeowners’ insurance agent as well as the insurance agent for the CMWA (Marty
Mahold, it was evident that the CMWA policy did not have the prevision to cover the
Woodturners at a private residence. At the October 2010 meeting of the Woodturner’s Group,
Gary pitched the proposal to the members in attendance of the possibilities of forming a local
chapter of the AAW. He shared with them the potential of working with The Paramount. With a
show of hands, the discussion was made to apply for a charter. A representative group of
members met at Perkin’s in the Pines restaurant to form an interim Board of Directors and
proceed. The Mid Minnesota Association of Woodturners (MMAW) was born. The application
was submitted and approved by the AAW a few days later. Board members included: Gary
Mrozek – President, Bill Baker – Vice President, Nadine Nelson – filling the Past President
position, Albert Keppers – 1 year at large, John Caye – 2 years at large, Bill Langen – Secretary,
and Bill Larson – Treasurer. Their first board meeting was held Wednesday November 3rd.
The new Board was very busy. Activities included:
Establishing Bylaws
Providing volunteer help with 2011 AAW Symposium in St. Paul, MN in mailing raffle
tickets to other AAW Chapters.
Investigated:
Filing IRS Form 1023 and 501(c)(3)
Incorporation
Liability insurance
Opening a club checking account
Renting a Post Office box
Established methods of communication that included:
Email
Post card
Simple newsletter – Nadine Nelson as editor
2011
The monthly chapter meetings continued in Gary’s garage through January 2011. The new
Board of Directors met with Melissa Gohman at the Paramount. After a tour of both the
downtown facility and the “Tech” building on the west end of town, it was agreed to begin
holding meetings at the Paramount Visual Arts Center in downtown St. Cloud. The verbal
agreement was to start slow to make sure the arrangement was satisfactory to both the
MMAW and the Paramount. This agreement included a 5-year vision that would include the
MMAW providing the expertise to offer community classes in woodturning. The MMAW had a
few days to submit an Educational Outreach Grant (EOG) through the AAW. As an approved
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AAW Chapter, we were eligible to apply for this $1,500 grant. Members John Caye and Gary
Mrozek submitted the grant application based on the acceleration of offering educational
opportunities to our members and the community. The application requested funds to
purchase 3 lathes.
On February 12th, 2011, the MMAW held their first meeting in the Rehearsal Hall of the
Paramount Visual Art Center. It was very well received by the members. It had all the amenities
required (easy to find, ample parking, restrooms, secure storage, etc.). On March 11, the
MMAW had their first public appearance at the CMWA Wood Expo. The club debuted the new
restored treadle lathe donated by member Bill McConnell. It was restored with white oak
timbers donated by Pont’s Logging and Lumber in Little Falls and the timber framing skills of
Albert Keppers, Tom Harlander and Gary Mrozek. It was the center of attention at the
woodturner’s booth. Various members and the public took a turn at turning the way they did
back in the early 1800’s.
On Friday Mach 18th, the Paramount invited the MMAW to part of the St. Cloud Art Crawl. We
had member Nadine Nelson demonstrating pen turning on her lathe. There we 5 or more
members that displayed and sold their woodturned items. It gave many of the public “crawlers”
a new appreciation for woodturning as both utilitarian and an art form.
In 2011, the MMAW:
established our charter with the AAW
grew our membership from 20 at our September 2010 meeting to 42
launched a successful and highly visited website
established a partnership with the Paramount Visual Arts Center for a place to have our
meetings and events
applied for and received a $1,500 Education Outreach Grant from the AAW
purchased three Delta lathes, a slow speed grinder, sharpening system, and rolling
cabinet
are scheduled to fulfill our primary mission statement “promote woodturning to the
local community through education” with community outreach and Teen Night/Open
Studio Night opportunities beginning in September through the Paramount
played a significant role with nearly 100 hours of volunteer time at the AAW Symposium
updated our bylaws to make it more “family friendly” with a 3-tier membership
started our year with a balance of $300 and ended our year with $24
The new lathes made their first public appearance at the Spring St. Cloud Art Crawl.
2012
The new Board members were voted in on August 13th, 2011, for the calendar year of
September 1st, 2011, to August 31st, 2012: Bill Baker - President, Vice President - Open, Gary
Mrozek – Past President, Albert Keppers – At Large, John Caye – At Large, Bill Lange – Secretary,
Lyle Knopp – Treasurer. Our treadle lathe was demonstrated at the St. Cloud Sustainability
Event at Atwood Center on the Campus of St. Cloud State University, Baradon Park on the SCSU
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Campus’s Summer In The Park music event and the Albany Pioneer Days in September 16th, 17th
and 18th and was a big hit with the public. Lyle Knopp takes the lead for Teen Night/Open Studio
Night. Due to liability concerns, the criteria changed to limiting participation to 13 years old and
older.
2013
The new Board was voted in on August 11th, 2011, for the calendar year of September 1st, 2012,
to August 31st, 2013. Alan Sias - President, Gerald Wervey - Vice President, Bill Baker – Past
President, Lyle Knopp – Treasurer, Bill Langen – Secretary, Roxanne Wyatt and Albert Keppers -
- Board Member At Large. Key accomplishments include “Train the Trainer” initiative. The
concept was to provide an opportunity for members to teach a class to fellow MMAW
members to learn from the experience in hopes of repeating the class to the general public
through the Paramount Visual Arts Center Community Classes. The initiative resulted in 13
classes taught by 6 instructors with 62 students receiving 51 hours of classroom time! Plans
were also made to bring Liam O’ Neill, professional woodturner from Ireland and founding
member of the AAW to St. Cloud. This was in partnership with the Minnesota Woodturners
Association. In combination with our professional quest, MMAW member Gary Mrozek
organized a wood art exhibit in Studio C of Paramount. Members of the Central Minnesota
Wood Carvers and Central Minnesota Woodworkers Association we invited to participate. The
exhibit was called Beneath the Bark.
2014
The new Board was voted in on August 10th, 2013, for the calendar year of September 1st 2013 to
August 31st, 2014. Gerald Wervey - President, John Caye – Vice President, Alan Sias – Past
President, Lyle Knopp – Treasurer, Bill Langen - Board Member At Large: Roxanne Wyatt - Board
Member At Large
2015
The new Board was voted in on August 12th, 2014, for the calendar year of September 1st 2014 to
August 31st, 2015. John Caye – president, Jim Brodd - vice president, Jerry Wervey - past
president, Guy Schafer – secretary, Bryon John – treasurer, Albert Keppers - 1yr at-large Bill
Baker - 1 yr at-large, Denny Meyer - 2yr at-large. On Thursday, May 1, John Lucas, professional
woodturner from Tennessee gave a demo of the techniques he uses to make a hand mirror. It
was attended by 25 members.
2016
The new Board was voted in on August 10th, 2015, for the calendar year of September 1, 2015 to
August 31st, 2016. President-elect Jim Brodd, Vice-President Denny Myers, Secretary Guy
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Schafer, Treasurer Byron John, Director 1 year Albert Keppers, Director 1 year Jim Preusser,
Director 2 years Dan Monson. On Thursday March 12th, professional woodturner Nick Cook
demonstrated how to make a pepper grinder.
The new Board voted in on August 13, 2016, for term September 1, 2016, to August 2017.
President: Bill Baker, Vice President Dan Monson, Secretary Guy Schafer, Treasurer Byron John,
Executive Director(s) Roger Swenson (2 years), Tom Lillehei (1 year), Pam Lillehei (1 Year)
2017
Officers/Board Members:
The new board was voted in August 2017, for the calendar year of September 1, 2017, to
August 31, 2018. President Denny Myers; Vice-President Lenny Merdan; Secretary Guy Schafer;
Treasurer Roxanne Wyatt; Board Member(s) at Large: Jim Brodd & Bill Larson.
Demos/Classes:
January Class: “El Diablo Plate,” Kirk Deheer, January 13. January Demo: Natural Edge Bowl,
John Caye
February: Beginning Turning” Class, Guy Schafer, February 1 & 8, Hollowing Class, Gary Mrozek
3 Saturdays in February.
March: None
April: “Elements of Design” Class, Professor Bill Garcia, SCSU, April 8.
May: “Embellishments” - pyrography, woodcarving, coloring – Denny Myers, May 13
June: “Bottle Stoppers,” Jerry Wervey
July: AAW Symposium (June) Gary Mrozek & Lyle Knopp shared their experiences.
August: None
September: “Candle Holder turning & application of milk paint” demo, and shared a video on
shear scraping, Linda Ferber
October: “Multi-Axis Turning” demo, Lenny Merdan
November: “Setup/Tuneup your bandsaw” demo, Rollie Johnson.
December: Christmas Party
Events:
Empty Bowl Event – March 25
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2017 Wood Expo, April 16 – Sports East on the Benton County Fairgrounds, Sauk Rapids, MN
(Cancelled, lack of vendors)
AAW Annual Symposium – June 22-25, Kansas City. Gary Mrozek & Lyle Knopp will be doing a
slide presentation.
Art Crawl – August 11.
The Minnesota Woodturners Association (MWA) hosting Glenn Lucas from Ireland, in
Plymouth, MN on September 23 and have extended an invite for our club to attend.
Workshop: “Tree of Life Carved Piecing Embellishment,” Mark Laub, at the Tech Center,
November 18. Cost $175
Community Involvement:
Place of Hope Ministries: Empty Bowls fundraiser to provide meals for those in need.
The Paramount Center for the Arts – Arts Underground Program
Art Crawl – August
MMAW request for demo at church/school group on November 17. Jerry Wervey & Gary
Mrozak volunteered.
Notes:
Fiscal year change from September 1 to January 1 on January 14, 2017
Melinda Doubek resigned as web-site manager and newsletter publisher resigned February
2017. Fred Schmoll has taken over responsibilities for both the web site and newsletter.
Library improvement/updated – Jim Brodd coordinator.
Liaison to the Paramount to help coordinate programming between the MMSAW and the
Paramount – Gary Mrozek (3-year term)
Asset Managers for Club: Denny Myers & Bill Baker
Club Photographer: Gary Theison
2018
Officers/Board Members:
On August 12, 2017, voted the following officers in for 2018: President Denny Meyers, Vice
President Lenny Merdan, Treasurer Roxanne Wyatt, Secretary Guy Schafer, Executive
Director(s) at Large: Jim Brodd and Bill Larson
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Demos/Classes:
January: Safety Briefing presentation, Dick Beumer.
February: “Hollowing with a Camera” demo, Gary Mrozek.
March: “Using a Vacuum Chuck” demo, Denny Myers & John Caye
April: “Segmented turning,” Lenny & Bill Larson (will be rescheduled due to weather)
May: “How to Sharpen Your Tools” demo, Neil Robinette & Dan Larson (from MWA)
June: “Pen Turning” demo, Josiah Skeate and Guy Schafer
July: Picnic
August: “Hollowing Using Hand-held Hollowing Tools” demo, Denny Myers
September: “Oneway Coring Systems” demo, Jerry Wervey
October: “Sea Urchin Holiday Ornaments” demo, Denny Myers and “Exploding Bowl” Safety
talk by Dave Kramer.
November: “How to Make a Square Bowl” demo, Bob McClintick, “How to Construct a Pool Cue
for Breaking the Balls after they are racked” instructional talk by Larry Sampson
December: New Officer Election & Christmas Party
Events:
“101 Bowls on display at the American Swedish Institute. The show runs through April 8.
The AAW Symposium, Portland, Oregon, June 14-17
Community Involvement:
Basic Wood Turning Class (Paramount), Guy Schafer, February 6 & 13
Art Crawl – March 23, June 2, August 10
Turning Tops Class (Paramount), Jerry Wervey, April 10
Empty Bowl Event – March 24 cancelled, rescheduled April 14
Lidded Box Class (Paramount), Jerry Wervey, April 24
American Craft Council Show, St. Paul, April 21 – Gary Mrozek & Guy Schafer will be
representing MMAW by turning tops.
Natural Edge Bowl Class (Paramount), Gary Mrozek, May 15
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Notes:
By-laws updated February 2018.
2018 Art Crawl Coordinator – Guy Schafer
Empty Bowl Coordinator, Guy Schafer, no longer coordinating, we need a replacement.
Vice President Lenny Merdan resigned June. Jerry Wervey is the new VP.
Fiscal Year Change: September 1 – January 1 (change passed February 10, 2018)
2019
Officers/Board Members:
President: Jerry Wervey, Vice President: Bill Langen, Board Member(s) at Large Gary Mrozek
and Bob McClintick, Treasurer: Roxanne Wyatt, Secretary Guy Schaefer, Executive Board
Member(s) at Large: Gary Mrozek & Bob McClintick
Demos/Classes:
January: Safety demo cancelled – watch lathe safety videos on YouTube. Six turning demos by
club members: “Inside out Guitar Shape” Lenny Merdan, “Pen Turning” Tom Lillehi, “Bowl”
John Caye, “Spiral Turnings” Gary Mrozek, “Bottle Stopper Using Skew” Bill Baxter, “Turning a
Top” Jerry Wervey.
February: “The Taming of the Skew” demo Jim Jacobs. Hands-on class using a skew followed.
March: “Wood Embellishment” discussion, Guy Schafer
April: Demos - “12-cent Pen” Mark Scholer, “Ornament” Guy Schafer, “Hand Mirror” Jerry
Wervey.
May: “Thread Chasing” demo, Bill Baker
June: “Turning Beads and Off-Center Pendants & Magnets” demo Jerry Wervey
July: Picnic
August: “Lidded Box” demo Linda Ferber, AAW
September: Turn & Learn demos: “Finial Turning” Ellen Starr, “How to Sharpen Tools using the
Wolverine Sharpening System by One Way” John Caye, “Turning a Bolt-Action Pen” Josiah
Skeet, “Beall Buffing System” Jerry Wervey
October: “Making a Stringed Instrument Utilizing a Turned Bowl” PowerPoint Presentation,
Jerry Wervey
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November: “Construct a Pool Cue for Breaking Balls after being Racked” instructional talk Larry
Sampson
December: Officer Election & Christmas Party
Events: n/a
Community Involvement:
Turning demo, Curt Theobald, Paramount Studio C 6:30 pm February 1.
Skew Class, Jim Jacobs, Feb 9 (filled)
Art Crawl – March 22, June 7, August 9, October 18
Notes:
A new photo booth for Instant Gallery was purchased in January. Need help setting up, taking
photos, and taking down. Would like to rotate these tasks monthly. Training provided.
A new speaker and microphone system was purchased in January.
Librarian needed.
2020
Officers/Board Members:
President Guy Schafer, Treasurer Ellen Starr, Secretary Bill Langen, Board Member(s) at Large:
Tom Harlander (2-year term) & Bob McClintick (1-year term remaining)
Demos/Classes:
January: Safety Presentation by Josh Mumme
February: Demos - “Different Ways to Mount a Blank on a Lathe” Lyle Knopp, “Using Sandpaper
for the Best Results” Jim Brodd, “How to Fill Voids and Turning Embellishment” Bob Carlson.
Empty Bowls informative discussion by Pastor Carol, Place of Hope
March: “Bowl Gouge Skills” Dan Monson, “Turning a Platter” Gary Mrozek
April: Zoom meeting (Covid) – “Toy Top Production” demo Gary Mrozek, “AAW Website
Resources & Updates” Linda Ferber
May: Zoom meeting (Covid) – “Carving Embellishment” demo Ellen Starr
June: Zoom meeting (Covid) – “Log Processing Video” Guy Schafer, “Electric Saws” discussion
Gary Mrozek
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July: No meeting. It was suggested members attend the AAW Virtual Symposium.
August: Zoom meeting (Covid) Discussion: “Turning Finials” Ellen Star, “Splitting Wood” Gary
Mrozek, Russian “Lathe Knife” demonstrated on YouTube.
September: Zoom meeting (Covid) Discussion: Captive hollowing tools/coring systems.
October: Zoom meeting (Covid) Discussion: no meeting minutes posted.
November: Zoom meeting (Covid) Discussion: Coring Systems
December: Zoom meeting (Covid) Discussion: Finishing
Events:
Lie Nielsen Tools – Tech Center April 17 & 18
John Jordan Full-Day Embellishment Presentation, June 11 at the Paramount
The Annual AAW Symposium, Louisville (Virtual) July.
“Autumn Moon” Virtual Fundraiser: Paramount Confidential, September 25
Nick Cook – hands-on program October at the Paramount
Community Involvement:
Art Crawl – March 20 (Cancelled Covid)
Empty Bowls – March 21 (Cancelled Covid)
Empty Bowls – Rescheduled September 19
Notes:
The Executive Board decided to move meetings from the Paramount to the Tech Site in July.
In August, the Paramount has decided to close all facilities, including the Tech Center until
January 2021.
2021
Officers/Board Members:
President Guy Schafer, Treasurer Ellen Starr, Secretary Bill Langen, Executive Member(s) at
Large: Bill Baker (2-year term), Tom Harlander (1-year term remaining)
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Demos/Classes:
January: Zoom Meeting (Covid) “One Way Coring System with a Mike Hunter Cutter” video Gary
Mrozek
February: Zoo Meeting (Covid) “Beyond ABC” Interactive remote demonstration (IRD) with Ed
Pretty
March: Zoom Meeting (Covid) “Turn an Egg” video with instructor Kirk DeHeer
April: Zoom Meeting (Covid) “Natural Edge Bowl and special section on Microwave Drying”
video demonstration with Gary Mrozek
May: (In-person meeting & Zoom will continue, no need to document monthly unless change) –
No demo. Ideas shared.
June: “Use of a chainsaw to cut up logs/wood for woodturning,” - “Fishing Covered Box” demo
by Jerry Wervey.
July “How to Make a Whistle” demo by Guy Schafer
August: Annual Picnic
September: “How to Make Segmented Pieces” demo by Lenny Merdan
October: “Wood Burning Skills – Embellishment with a Burning Tool” demo by Brenda
Lodermier
November: “Christmas Ornament” demo by Mike Hunter and then Ellen Starr will demo how to
turn and fit the finial into the ornament. “Carbide Bit Tools” demo by Mike Hunter on his new
line of tools he designs and makes.
December: Elections (no holiday party due to Covid)
Events:
Visit to Pont’s Logging and Lumber, June.
Garage Sale, July 10th meeting.
2021 AAW Virtual Symposium, July 17-18, 2021
“It Matters with Kelly Cordes” Interview. Ellen Starr & Guy Schafer representing MMAW,
August 16.
Community Involvement:
The Paramount Center for the Arts Block Party Celebrating 100 years – August 26.
Empty Bowl Event, September 18.
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Conference of Shop Instructors, Oct 1. Guy Schafer, Jim Bridenstine, and Mike Hunter and did a
pen-making demo.
Notes:
Leadership needed for technological needs. Fred Schmoll will be helping.
By-Laws updated, November. Tech Center now official location for meetings, there will no
longer be a Vice-President. Officers are President, Secretary, Treasurer, and two board
members., The official mailing address IDs the Paramount.
Tool shed/Crib addition completed December 2, needs to be painted.
2022
Officers/Board Members:
President Fred Schmoll, Treasurer Ellen Starr (1-year left of term), Secretary Bill Langen (1-year
left of term) Executive Board Member(s) Dale Field (2-year term), Bill Baker (1-year left of term)
Demos/Classes:
January: “Snowman” Gary Mrozek
February: “Bottle Stopper” Guy Schafer
March: “Flexible Shaft Carving” Ellen Starr
April: “Scoops” Bob MClintick
May: “Marbling” Bill Baker
June: “Sharpening” Bill Baker & Gary Mrozek,
July: “Mounting Wood Blanks” Fred Schmoll, Bill Baker
August: Annual Summer Picnic
September: “Embellishing our Turnings”
October: “Cocktail Smoker” Gary Mrozek
November: “Lidded Box” Guy Schafer
December: Several Videos shown in lieu of demo, Fred Schmoll, Elections
Events:
AAW Symposium, June 23-26, Chattanooga, TN
MMAW will hold workshops in August
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Minnesota Woodworkers Guild “Woodworkers Expo” September 22
WIT Presents: Helga Winger, November 5
AAW Presents: Trent Bosch, November 12
AAW Presents: Rebecca DeGroot, December 17
Community Involvement:
Paramount’s Classes for Woodworking taught by members: Ellen Starr, Gary Mrozek, Guy
Schafer, Lyle Knopp, Brenda Lodermeier
Art Crawl, March 25, August 12
Empty Bowls, September 17
CMWA Woodturning Refresher Class, MMAW, October 12
Notes:
January: purchase of a new camera and overhead holder. Other electronic upgrades planned.
May: Eddie Och resigned from being meeting host, need replacement.
November: Awarded Legacy Fund Grant from Central Minnesota Arts Board for the purchase of
video equipment used by the 3 clubs at the Paramount Technical Site.
December: Wall painted at Tech Site.
2023
Officers/Board Members:
President Fred Schmoll, Treasurer Ellen Starr, Secretary Bill Langen, Executive Director at Large
Sharon Giesfeldt, 2-year term, Membership: Bill Baker, Newsletter Guy Schafer
Demos/Classes:
January: “Safety Talk” Don Peterson (Central Minnesota Woodworkers Association CMWA)
February: “Chasing the Ultimate Cut—Achieving a Better Bowl Surface with less Sanding” Phil
Holtan
March: “Segmented Made East” Gary Mrozek
April: “Re-Mounting a once-turned bowl” Guy Florek
May: “Stabilizing Wood w/ Cactus Juice” Bill Baker
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June: “Garden Gnome” Tyler Smith
July: “Off Set or Off-Center Turning” videos by Barbara Dill
August: Club Picnic
September: (at Paramount, not Tech Center) “Making Handles” Sharon Giesfeldt, “Chainsaw vs.
Tree” video shown by Fred Schmoll
October: “Decorative Ornament” John Menning
November: “Wobbler Top” Linda Ferber
December: Gift Exchange, Elections
Events:
Wood Raffle at the April 8th meeting
AAW 37th Woodturning Symposium, Louisville, KY, June 1-4.
Community Involvement:
Art Crawls: June 16, August 18, and October 6.
Empty Bowls Event, September 16
Paramount Center of the Arts Classes:
“Turning a Decorative Nutcracker,” Sharon Giesfeldt, October 4
“Beyond the Basics of Turning: Lidded Boxes,” Guy Schafer, October 17
“Beyond the Basics of Woodturning: Yoyos, Tops, & Fidget Sticks,” Gary Mrozek,
November 6.
“Beyond the Basics of Turning: Decorative Ornaments,” John Menning, November 13
Notes:
January: Installation of 2 TVs and white board at Tech Site.
February: Cameras tied into the new monitors.
March: Electric Keypad installed on door of Tech Center.
July: All work has been completed on the Technology Update. Grant is a Legacy Fund Grant
from the Central Minnesota Arts Board
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2024
Officers/Board Members:
President Fred Schmoll, Treasurer Tom Harlander, Secretary LeAnn Kemper, Executive Member-
at-Large: Tyler Smith
Demos/Classes:
January: “Jewelry Making” Ellen Starr
February: “Surface Enhancements” Kirk DeHeer (Interactive Remove Demonstration)
March: “Using Epoxy in Woodturning” Mike Fanslau
April: “Decoding the Complexity of Finishes” Mark Palma
May: “Multi-Axis Sphere” Paul Headman
June: “Working with Epoxy” Chris Lyons
July: “Hands-on: Making Bowls, Lidded Boxes, Tops, etc.” Pen Making, LeAnn Kemper; Lidded
Box, Bill Baker; Bowl Making, Tyler Smith; Tool Handles, Sharon Giesfeldt; Finial Making, Ellen
Starr.
August: Annual Club Picnic
September: “Making a Bowl from a Board” Charlie Prokop
October:
November:
December:
Events:
Central Minnesota Woodworkers’ Association (CMWA) hosting training sessions, Feb 22 on how
to use the equipment at the Tech Site and shop safety.
Wood Raffle, March 9 meeting.
Tool Swap/Sale, April meeting.
Central Minnesota Woodcarvers’ Association 24th Annual Snow Daze Carve, Moose Lodge,
Waite Park, April 26-28.
2024 AAW International Woodturning Symposium, Portland, Oregon, May 23-26
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Community Involvement:
Art Crawl – will not be held this year. Committee will reevaluate options for 2025.
Minnesota Technology and Engineering Educators Association (MTEEA) Conference September
27
Notes:
2025
Officers/Board Members:
Demos/Classes:
January:
February:
March:
April:
May:
June:
July:
August:
September:
October:
November:
December:
Events:
The AAW’s Annual International Woodturning Symposium, St. Paul, MN, June 12-15, Tyler
Smith is the contact for the club.
Community Involvement:
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Notes:
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MID MINNESOTA ASSOCIATION OF WOODTURNERS
The Mid Minnesota Association of Woodturners (MMAW) originated from a demonstration for
the Central Minnesota Woodworkers Association (CMWA) on November 21, 2007.
http://www.thecmwa.com/sites/thecmwa.com/files/CMWA_2007-12.pdf Gary Mrozek hosted
the monthly meeting in his shop. He demonstrated some basic woodturning on his lathe. After
the demonstration, Gary shared his vision of a special interest sub-group of CMWA members
with a focus on wood turning. This group could share experiences and learn news techniques
from each other. Gary asked for a show of hands of those interested in pursuing this vision. At
the December Board meeting of the CMWA Gary presented his proposal. With the blessing of
the Board the new subgroup was launched. On Saturday, February 23, 2008, Gary set-up a
booth at the CMWA’s Wood Expo, held at the St. Cloud Armory. He shared his vision with the
public and displayed several woodturned pieces from his collection. He invited those interested
to sign-up for notification of the first meeting of the CMWA Woodturners Group. This meeting
took place on Saturday March 8th, 2008, in Gary and wife Faye’s garage. It was attended by 15
individuals. After the meeting, a focus group was formed and the CMWA Woodturner’s Group
was on their way. For the next year, the group met monthly. Popularity grew and guests and
members of the CMWA attended regularly.
In the summer of 2009, the group had grown to around 45 members and it was evident that
Gary’s garage could no longer facilitate the meetings. Gary scheduled a meeting with Melissa
Gohman and Derick Segerstrom of the Paramount Art District in St. Cloud. He explained his
dilemma and the need to find a new home for the group. The three of them brainstormed the
potential for a mutually beneficial arrangement that could satisfy both the Woodturners Group
and the mission of the Paramount Arts Resource Trust (PART), promoting and educating in a
variety of art mediums. Wood as a medium would be new to the Paramount.
2010
On Saturday, March 13th, 2010, Gary invited Linda Ferber, program director of the American
Association of Woodturners (AAW), to the CMWA’s 5th Annual Wood Expo. The Woodturners
Group had a booth with a Minnesota Twins theme to celebrate the opening of the new Target
Field. The members of the Woodturners Group had 3 lathes set-up and were turning miniature
baseball bats to give to the young (and young at heart) attendees of the Expo. Linda shared the
benefits of a group like ours being a local chapter of the AAW. One of the benefits was liability
insurance provided to all chapters free of charge. Quickly, a meeting of some of the CMWA
members was pulled together for an impromptu Q&A with Linda during the Expo. We discussed
the possibilities of the CMWA (as a whole) becoming a chapter of the AAW. In April of 2010, an
entourage of Rollie Johnson, Brad Knowles, Albert Keppers and Gary Mrozek traveled to St. Paul
to meet with the AAW. It was determined that the primary requirement of the AAW insurance
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was that all demonstrators at chapter meetings must be a member of the AAW’s parent
organization. This would seriously limit CMWA’s ability to bring in guest speakers.
It was believed that CMWA’s insurance provided ample liability coverage for the club, its
members, and the meeting host. Deeper investigation including conversations with Gary’s
personal homeowners’ insurance agent as well as the insurance agent for the CMWA (Marty
Mahold, it was evident that the CMWA policy did not have the prevision to cover the
Woodturners at a private residence. At the October 2010 meeting of the Woodturner’s Group,
Gary pitched the proposal to the members in attendance of the possibilities of forming a local
chapter of the AAW. He shared with them the potential of working with The Paramount. With a
show of hands, the discussion was made to apply for a charter. A representative group of
members met at Perkin’s in the Pines restaurant to form an interim Board of Directors and
proceed. The Mid Minnesota Association of Woodturners (MMAW) was born. The application
was submitted and approved by the AAW a few days later. Board members included: Gary
Mrozek – President, Bill Baker – Vice President, Nadine Nelson – filling the Past President
position, Albert Keppers – 1 year at large, John Caye – 2 years at large, Bill Langen – Secretary,
and Bill Larson – Treasurer. Their first board meeting was held Wednesday November 3rd.
The new Board was very busy. Activities included:
Establishing Bylaws
Providing volunteer help with 2011 AAW Symposium in St. Paul, MN in mailing raffle
tickets to other AAW Chapters.
Investigated:
Filing IRS Form 1023 and 501(c)(3)
Incorporation
Liability insurance
Opening a club checking account
Renting a Post Office box
Established methods of communication that included:
Post card
Simple newsletter – Nadine Nelson as editor
2011
The monthly chapter meetings continued in Gary’s garage through January 2011. The new
Board of Directors met with Melissa Gohman at the Paramount. After a tour of both the
downtown facility and the “Tech” building on the west end of town, it was agreed to begin
holding meetings at the Paramount Visual Arts Center in downtown St. Cloud. The verbal
agreement was to start slow to make sure the arrangement was satisfactory to both the
MMAW and the Paramount. This agreement included a 5-year vision that would include the
MMAW providing the expertise to offer community classes in woodturning. The MMAW had a
few days to submit an Educational Outreach Grant (EOG) through the AAW. As an approved
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AAW Chapter, we were eligible to apply for this $1,500 grant. Members John Caye and Gary
Mrozek submitted the grant application based on the acceleration of offering educational
opportunities to our members and the community. The application requested funds to
purchase 3 lathes.
On February 12th, 2011, the MMAW held their first meeting in the Rehearsal Hall of the
Paramount Visual Art Center. It was very well received by the members. It had all the amenities
required (easy to find, ample parking, restrooms, secure storage, etc.). On March 11, the
MMAW had their first public appearance at the CMWA Wood Expo. The club debuted the new
restored treadle lathe donated by member Bill McConnell. It was restored with white oak
timbers donated by Pont’s Logging and Lumber in Little Falls and the timber framing skills of
Albert Keppers, Tom Harlander and Gary Mrozek. It was the center of attention at the
woodturner’s booth. Various members and the public took a turn at turning the way they did
back in the early 1800’s.
On Friday Mach 18th, the Paramount invited the MMAW to part of the St. Cloud Art Crawl. We
had member Nadine Nelson demonstrating pen turning on her lathe. There we 5 or more
members that displayed and sold their woodturned items. It gave many of the public “crawlers”
a new appreciation for woodturning as both utilitarian and an art form.
In 2011, the MMAW:
established our charter with the AAW
grew our membership from 20 at our September 2010 meeting to 42
launched a successful and highly visited website
established a partnership with the Paramount Visual Arts Center for a place to have our
meetings and events
applied for and received a $1,500 Education Outreach Grant from the AAW
purchased three Delta lathes, a slow speed grinder, sharpening system, and rolling
cabinet
are scheduled to fulfill our primary mission statement “promote woodturning to the
local community through education” with community outreach and Teen Night/Open
Studio Night opportunities beginning in September through the Paramount
played a significant role with nearly 100 hours of volunteer time at the AAW Symposium
updated our bylaws to make it more “family friendly” with a 3-tier membership
started our year with a balance of $300 and ended our year with $24
The new lathes made their first public appearance at the Spring St. Cloud Art Crawl.
2012
The new Board members were voted in on August 13th, 2011, for the calendar year of
September 1st, 2011, to August 31st, 2012: Bill Baker - President, Vice President - Open, Gary
Mrozek – Past President, Albert Keppers – At Large, John Caye – At Large, Bill Lange – Secretary,
Lyle Knopp – Treasurer. Our treadle lathe was demonstrated at the St. Cloud Sustainability
Event at Atwood Center on the Campus of St. Cloud State University, Baradon Park on the SCSU
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Campus’s Summer In The Park music event and the Albany Pioneer Days in September 16th, 17th
and 18th and was a big hit with the public. Lyle Knopp takes the lead for Teen Night/Open Studio
Night. Due to liability concerns, the criteria changed to limiting participation to 13 years old and
older.
2013
The new Board was voted in on August 11th, 2011, for the calendar year of September 1st, 2012,
to August 31st, 2013. Alan Sias - President, Gerald Wervey - Vice President, Bill Baker – Past
President, Lyle Knopp – Treasurer, Bill Langen – Secretary, Roxanne Wyatt and Albert Keppers -
- Board Member At Large. Key accomplishments include “Train the Trainer” initiative. The
concept was to provide an opportunity for members to teach a class to fellow MMAW
members to learn from the experience in hopes of repeating the class to the general public
through the Paramount Visual Arts Center Community Classes. The initiative resulted in 13
classes taught by 6 instructors with 62 students receiving 51 hours of classroom time! Plans
were also made to bring Liam O’ Neill, professional woodturner from Ireland and founding
member of the AAW to St. Cloud. This was in partnership with the Minnesota Woodturners
Association. In combination with our professional quest, MMAW member Gary Mrozek
organized a wood art exhibit in Studio C of Paramount. Members of the Central Minnesota
Wood Carvers and Central Minnesota Woodworkers Association we invited to participate. The
exhibit was called Beneath the Bark.
2014
The new Board was voted in on August 10th, 2013, for the calendar year of September 1st 2013 to
August 31st, 2014. Gerald Wervey - President, John Caye – Vice President, Alan Sias – Past
President, Lyle Knopp – Treasurer, Bill Langen - Board Member At Large: Roxanne Wyatt - Board
Member At Large
2015
The new Board was voted in on August 12th, 2014, for the calendar year of September 1st 2014 to
August 31st, 2015. John Caye – president, Jim Brodd - vice president, Jerry Wervey - past
president, Guy Schafer – secretary, Bryon John – treasurer, Albert Keppers - 1yr at-large Bill
Baker - 1 yr at-large, Denny Meyer - 2yr at-large. On Thursday, May 1, John Lucas, professional
woodturner from Tennessee gave a demo of the techniques he uses to make a hand mirror. It
was attended by 25 members.
2016
The new Board was voted in on August 10th, 2015, for the calendar year of September 1, 2015 to
August 31st, 2016. President-elect Jim Brodd, Vice-President Denny Myers, Secretary Guy
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Schafer, Treasurer Byron John, Director 1 year Albert Keppers, Director 1 year Jim Preusser,
Director 2 years Dan Monson. On Thursday March 12th, professional woodturner Nick Cook
demonstrated how to make a pepper grinder.
The new Board voted in on August 13, 2016, for term September 1, 2016, to August 2017.
President: Bill Baker, Vice President Dan Monson, Secretary Guy Schafer, Treasurer Byron John,
Executive Director(s) Roger Swenson (2 years), Tom Lillehei (1 year), Pam Lillehei (1 Year)
2017
Officers/Board Members:
The new board was voted in August 2017, for the calendar year of September 1, 2017, to
August 31, 2018. President Denny Myers; Vice-President Lenny Merdan; Secretary Guy Schafer;
Treasurer Roxanne Wyatt; Board Member(s) at Large: Jim Brodd & Bill Larson.
Demos/Classes:
January Class: “El Diablo Plate,” Kirk Deheer, January 13. January Demo: Natural Edge Bowl,
John Caye
February: Beginning Turning” Class, Guy Schafer, February 1 & 8, Hollowing Class, Gary Mrozek
3 Saturdays in February.
March: None
April: “Elements of Design” Class, Professor Bill Garcia, SCSU, April 8.
May: “Embellishments” - pyrography, woodcarving, coloring – Denny Myers, May 13
June: “Bottle Stoppers,” Jerry Wervey
July: AAW Symposium (June) Gary Mrozek & Lyle Knopp shared their experiences.
August: None
September: “Candle Holder turning & application of milk paint” demo, and shared a video on
shear scraping, Linda Ferber
October: “Multi-Axis Turning” demo, Lenny Merdan
November: “Setup/Tuneup your bandsaw” demo, Rollie Johnson.
December: Christmas Party
Events:
Empty Bowl Event – March 25
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2017 Wood Expo, April 16 – Sports East on the Benton County Fairgrounds, Sauk Rapids, MN
(Cancelled, lack of vendors)
AAW Annual Symposium – June 22-25, Kansas City. Gary Mrozek & Lyle Knopp will be doing a
slide presentation.
Art Crawl – August 11.
The Minnesota Woodturners Association (MWA) hosting Glenn Lucas from Ireland, in
Plymouth, MN on September 23 and have extended an invite for our club to attend.
Workshop: “Tree of Life Carved Piecing Embellishment,” Mark Laub, at the Tech Center,
November 18. Cost $175
Community Involvement:
Place of Hope Ministries: Empty Bowls fundraiser to provide meals for those in need.
The Paramount Center for the Arts – Arts Underground Program
Art Crawl – August
MMAW request for demo at church/school group on November 17. Jerry Wervey & Gary
Mrozak volunteered.
Notes:
Fiscal year change from September 1 to January 1 on January 14, 2017
Melinda Doubek resigned as web-site manager and newsletter publisher resigned February
2017. Fred Schmoll has taken over responsibilities for both the web site and newsletter.
Library improvement/updated – Jim Brodd coordinator.
Liaison to the Paramount to help coordinate programming between the MMSAW and the
Paramount – Gary Mrozek (3-year term)
Asset Managers for Club: Denny Myers & Bill Baker
Club Photographer: Gary Theison
2018
Officers/Board Members:
On August 12, 2017, voted the following officers in for 2018: President Denny Meyers, Vice
President Lenny Merdan, Treasurer Roxanne Wyatt, Secretary Guy Schafer, Executive
Director(s) at Large: Jim Brodd and Bill Larson
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Demos/Classes:
January: Safety Briefing presentation, Dick Beumer.
February: “Hollowing with a Camera” demo, Gary Mrozek.
March: “Using a Vacuum Chuck” demo, Denny Myers & John Caye
April: “Segmented turning,” Lenny & Bill Larson (will be rescheduled due to weather)
May: “How to Sharpen Your Tools” demo, Neil Robinette & Dan Larson (from MWA)
June: “Pen Turning” demo, Josiah Skeate and Guy Schafer
July: Picnic
August: “Hollowing Using Hand-held Hollowing Tools” demo, Denny Myers
September: “Oneway Coring Systems” demo, Jerry Wervey
October: “Sea Urchin Holiday Ornaments” demo, Denny Myers and “Exploding Bowl” Safety
talk by Dave Kramer.
November: “How to Make a Square Bowl” demo, Bob McClintick, “How to Construct a Pool Cue
for Breaking the Balls after they are racked” instructional talk by Larry Sampson
December: New Officer Election & Christmas Party
Events:
“101 Bowls on display at the American Swedish Institute. The show runs through April 8.
The AAW Symposium, Portland, Oregon, June 14-17
Community Involvement:
Basic Wood Turning Class (Paramount), Guy Schafer, February 6 & 13
Art Crawl – March 23, June 2, August 10
Turning Tops Class (Paramount), Jerry Wervey, April 10
Empty Bowl Event – March 24 cancelled, rescheduled April 14
Lidded Box Class (Paramount), Jerry Wervey, April 24
American Craft Council Show, St. Paul, April 21 – Gary Mrozek & Guy Schafer will be
representing MMAW by turning tops.
Natural Edge Bowl Class (Paramount), Gary Mrozek, May 15
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Notes:
By-laws updated February 2018.
2018 Art Crawl Coordinator – Guy Schafer
Empty Bowl Coordinator, Guy Schafer, no longer coordinating, we need a replacement.
Vice President Lenny Merdan resigned June. Jerry Wervey is the new VP.
Fiscal Year Change: September 1 – January 1 (change passed February 10, 2018)
2019
Officers/Board Members:
President: Jerry Wervey, Vice President: Bill Langen, Board Member(s) at Large Gary Mrozek
and Bob McClintick, Treasurer: Roxanne Wyatt, Secretary Guy Schaefer, Executive Board
Member(s) at Large: Gary Mrozek & Bob McClintick
Demos/Classes:
January: Safety demo cancelled – watch lathe safety videos on YouTube. Six turning demos by
club members: “Inside out Guitar Shape” Lenny Merdan, “Pen Turning” Tom Lillehi, “Bowl”
John Caye, “Spiral Turnings” Gary Mrozek, “Bottle Stopper Using Skew” Bill Baxter, “Turning a
Top” Jerry Wervey.
February: “The Taming of the Skew” demo Jim Jacobs. Hands-on class using a skew followed.
March: “Wood Embellishment” discussion, Guy Schafer
April: Demos - “12-cent Pen” Mark Scholer, “Ornament” Guy Schafer, “Hand Mirror” Jerry
Wervey.
May: “Thread Chasing” demo, Bill Baker
June: “Turning Beads and Off-Center Pendants & Magnets” demo Jerry Wervey
July: Picnic
August: “Lidded Box” demo Linda Ferber, AAW
September: Turn & Learn demos: “Finial Turning” Ellen Starr, “How to Sharpen Tools using the
Wolverine Sharpening System by One Way” John Caye, “Turning a Bolt-Action Pen” Josiah
Skeet, “Beall Buffing System” Jerry Wervey
October: “Making a Stringed Instrument Utilizing a Turned Bowl” PowerPoint Presentation,
Jerry Wervey
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November: “Construct a Pool Cue for Breaking Balls after being Racked” instructional talk Larry
Sampson
December: Officer Election & Christmas Party
Events: n/a
Community Involvement:
Turning demo, Curt Theobald, Paramount Studio C 6:30 pm February 1.
Skew Class, Jim Jacobs, Feb 9 (filled)
Art Crawl – March 22, June 7, August 9, October 18
Notes:
A new photo booth for Instant Gallery was purchased in January. Need help setting up, taking
photos, and taking down. Would like to rotate these tasks monthly. Training provided.
A new speaker and microphone system was purchased in January.
Librarian needed.
2020
Officers/Board Members:
President Guy Schafer, Treasurer Ellen Starr, Secretary Bill Langen, Board Member(s) at Large:
Tom Harlander (2-year term) & Bob McClintick (1-year term remaining)
Demos/Classes:
January: Safety Presentation by Josh Mumme
February: Demos - “Different Ways to Mount a Blank on a Lathe” Lyle Knopp, “Using Sandpaper
for the Best Results” Jim Brodd, “How to Fill Voids and Turning Embellishment” Bob Carlson.
Empty Bowls informative discussion by Pastor Carol, Place of Hope
March: “Bowl Gouge Skills” Dan Monson, “Turning a Platter” Gary Mrozek
April: Zoom meeting (Covid) – “Toy Top Production” demo Gary Mrozek, “AAW Website
Resources & Updates” Linda Ferber
May: Zoom meeting (Covid) – “Carving Embellishment” demo Ellen Starr
June: Zoom meeting (Covid) – “Log Processing Video” Guy Schafer, “Electric Saws” discussion
Gary Mrozek
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July: No meeting. It was suggested members attend the AAW Virtual Symposium.
August: Zoom meeting (Covid) Discussion: “Turning Finials” Ellen Star, “Splitting Wood” Gary
Mrozek, Russian “Lathe Knife” demonstrated on YouTube.
September: Zoom meeting (Covid) Discussion: Captive hollowing tools/coring systems.
October: Zoom meeting (Covid) Discussion: no meeting minutes posted.
November: Zoom meeting (Covid) Discussion: Coring Systems
December: Zoom meeting (Covid) Discussion: Finishing
Events:
Lie Nielsen Tools – Tech Center April 17 & 18
John Jordan Full-Day Embellishment Presentation, June 11 at the Paramount
The Annual AAW Symposium, Louisville (Virtual) July.
“Autumn Moon” Virtual Fundraiser: Paramount Confidential, September 25
Nick Cook – hands-on program October at the Paramount
Community Involvement:
Art Crawl – March 20 (Cancelled Covid)
Empty Bowls – March 21 (Cancelled Covid)
Empty Bowls – Rescheduled September 19
Notes:
The Executive Board decided to move meetings from the Paramount to the Tech Site in July.
In August, the Paramount has decided to close all facilities, including the Tech Center until
January 2021.
2021
Officers/Board Members:
President Guy Schafer, Treasurer Ellen Starr, Secretary Bill Langen, Executive Member(s) at
Large: Bill Baker (2-year term), Tom Harlander (1-year term remaining)
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Demos/Classes:
January: Zoom Meeting (Covid) “One Way Coring System with a Mike Hunter Cutter” video Gary
Mrozek
February: Zoo Meeting (Covid) “Beyond ABC” Interactive remote demonstration (IRD) with Ed
Pretty
March: Zoom Meeting (Covid) “Turn an Egg” video with instructor Kirk DeHeer
April: Zoom Meeting (Covid) “Natural Edge Bowl and special section on Microwave Drying”
video demonstration with Gary Mrozek
May: (In-person meeting & Zoom will continue, no need to document monthly unless change) –
No demo. Ideas shared.
June: “Use of a chainsaw to cut up logs/wood for woodturning,” - “Fishing Covered Box” demo
by Jerry Wervey.
July “How to Make a Whistle” demo by Guy Schafer
August: Annual Picnic
September: “How to Make Segmented Pieces” demo by Lenny Merdan
October: “Wood Burning Skills – Embellishment with a Burning Tool” demo by Brenda
Lodermier
November: “Christmas Ornament” demo by Mike Hunter and then Ellen Starr will demo how to
turn and fit the finial into the ornament. “Carbide Bit Tools” demo by Mike Hunter on his new
line of tools he designs and makes.
December: Elections (no holiday party due to Covid)
Events:
Visit to Pont’s Logging and Lumber, June.
Garage Sale, July 10th meeting.
2021 AAW Virtual Symposium, July 17-18, 2021
“It Matters with Kelly Cordes” Interview. Ellen Starr & Guy Schafer representing MMAW,
August 16.
Community Involvement:
The Paramount Center for the Arts Block Party Celebrating 100 years – August 26.
Empty Bowl Event, September 18.
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Conference of Shop Instructors, Oct 1. Guy Schafer, Jim Bridenstine, and Mike Hunter and did a
pen-making demo.
Notes:
Leadership needed for technological needs. Fred Schmoll will be helping.
By-Laws updated, November. Tech Center now official location for meetings, there will no
longer be a Vice-President. Officers are President, Secretary, Treasurer, and two board
members., The official mailing address IDs the Paramount.
Tool shed/Crib addition completed December 2, needs to be painted.
2022
Officers/Board Members:
President Fred Schmoll, Treasurer Ellen Starr (1-year left of term), Secretary Bill Langen (1-year
left of term) Executive Board Member(s) Dale Field (2-year term), Bill Baker (1-year left of term)
Demos/Classes:
January: “Snowman” Gary Mrozek
February: “Bottle Stopper” Guy Schafer
March: “Flexible Shaft Carving” Ellen Starr
April: “Scoops” Bob MClintick
May: “Marbling” Bill Baker
June: “Sharpening” Bill Baker & Gary Mrozek,
July: “Mounting Wood Blanks” Fred Schmoll, Bill Baker
August: Annual Summer Picnic
September: “Embellishing our Turnings”
October: “Cocktail Smoker” Gary Mrozek
November: “Lidded Box” Guy Schafer
December: Several Videos shown in lieu of demo, Fred Schmoll, Elections
Events:
AAW Symposium, June 23-26, Chattanooga, TN
MMAW will hold workshops in August
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Minnesota Woodworkers Guild “Woodworkers Expo” September 22
WIT Presents: Helga Winger, November 5
AAW Presents: Trent Bosch, November 12
AAW Presents: Rebecca DeGroot, December 17
Community Involvement:
Paramount’s Classes for Woodworking taught by members: Ellen Starr, Gary Mrozek, Guy
Schafer, Lyle Knopp, Brenda Lodermeier
Art Crawl, March 25, August 12
Empty Bowls, September 17
CMWA Woodturning Refresher Class, MMAW, October 12
Notes:
January: purchase of a new camera and overhead holder. Other electronic upgrades planned.
May: Eddie Och resigned from being meeting host, need replacement.
November: Awarded Legacy Fund Grant from Central Minnesota Arts Board for the purchase of
video equipment used by the 3 clubs at the Paramount Technical Site.
December: Wall painted at Tech Site.
2023
Officers/Board Members:
President Fred Schmoll, Treasurer Ellen Starr, Secretary Bill Langen, Executive Director at Large
Sharon Giesfeldt, 2-year term, Membership: Bill Baker, Newsletter Guy Schafer
Demos/Classes:
January: “Safety Talk” Don Peterson (Central Minnesota Woodworkers Association CMWA)
February: “Chasing the Ultimate Cut—Achieving a Better Bowl Surface with less Sanding” Phil
Holtan
March: “Segmented Made East” Gary Mrozek
April: “Re-Mounting a once-turned bowl” Guy Florek
May: “Stabilizing Wood w/ Cactus Juice” Bill Baker
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June: “Garden Gnome” Tyler Smith
July: “Off Set or Off-Center Turning” videos by Barbara Dill
August: Club Picnic
September: (at Paramount, not Tech Center) “Making Handles” Sharon Giesfeldt, “Chainsaw vs.
Tree” video shown by Fred Schmoll
October: “Decorative Ornament” John Menning
November: “Wobbler Top” Linda Ferber
December: Gift Exchange, Elections
Events:
Wood Raffle at the April 8th meeting
AAW 37th Woodturning Symposium, Louisville, KY, June 1-4.
Community Involvement:
Art Crawls: June 16, August 18, and October 6.
Empty Bowls Event, September 16
Paramount Center of the Arts Classes:
“Turning a Decorative Nutcracker,” Sharon Giesfeldt, October 4
“Beyond the Basics of Turning: Lidded Boxes,” Guy Schafer, October 17
“Beyond the Basics of Woodturning: Yoyos, Tops, & Fidget Sticks,” Gary Mrozek,
November 6.
“Beyond the Basics of Turning: Decorative Ornaments,” John Menning, November 13
Notes:
January: Installation of 2 TVs and white board at Tech Site.
February: Cameras tied into the new monitors.
March: Electric Keypad installed on door of Tech Center.
July: All work has been completed on the Technology Update. Grant is a Legacy Fund Grant
from the Central Minnesota Arts Board
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2024
Officers/Board Members:
President Fred Schmoll, Treasurer Tom Harlander, Secretary LeAnn Kemper, Executive Member-
at-Large: Tyler Smith
Demos/Classes:
January: “Jewelry Making” Ellen Starr
February: “Surface Enhancements” Kirk DeHeer (Interactive Remove Demonstration)
March: “Using Epoxy in Woodturning” Mike Fanslau
April: “Decoding the Complexity of Finishes” Mark Palma
May: “Multi-Axis Sphere” Paul Headman
June: “Working with Epoxy” Chris Lyons
July: “Hands-on: Making Bowls, Lidded Boxes, Tops, etc.” Pen Making, LeAnn Kemper; Lidded
Box, Bill Baker; Bowl Making, Tyler Smith; Tool Handles, Sharon Giesfeldt; Finial Making, Ellen
Starr.
August: Annual Club Picnic
September: “Making a Bowl from a Board” Charlie Prokop
October:
November:
December:
Events:
Central Minnesota Woodworkers’ Association (CMWA) hosting training sessions, Feb 22 on how
to use the equipment at the Tech Site and shop safety.
Wood Raffle, March 9 meeting.
Tool Swap/Sale, April meeting.
Central Minnesota Woodcarvers’ Association 24th Annual Snow Daze Carve, Moose Lodge,
Waite Park, April 26-28.
2024 AAW International Woodturning Symposium, Portland, Oregon, May 23-26
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Community Involvement:
Art Crawl – will not be held this year. Committee will reevaluate options for 2025.
Minnesota Technology and Engineering Educators Association (MTEEA) Conference September
27
Notes:
2025
Officers/Board Members:
Demos/Classes:
January:
February:
March:
April:
May:
June:
July:
August:
September:
October:
November:
December:
Events:
The AAW’s Annual International Woodturning Symposium, St. Paul, MN, June 12-15, Tyler
Smith is the contact for the club.
Community Involvement:
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Notes:
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